Off to see my new Bariatric surgeon who has been assisting me in the UK, Leeds, with the post operative issues I’ve been having.
To say I’m nervous is an understatement.
I’m unsure whether I will need another dilation to the stricture I had at my stomach exit, or maybe my current issues could be gallbladder related.
Gallbladder issues after losing weight quickly are extremely common, so my current pains are starting to freak me out a little.
No one wants to be operated on again or receive life time aftercare. Sometimes I wish I had known all of this was so common prior to leaping into the RNY surgery.
My life expectancy must have increased though, I’m now a healthy weight for me 7 months later, I can walk more, the arthritis pains have dulled and are bearable and on good days I feel great. I can wear anything too, it’s like a new found freedom.
On bad days the pack and rib pain are terrible, that’s the possible gallbladder pain. I can’t eat at some restaurants it must be the additives or oils used and it’s trial and error as to what’s okay and what’s not. If it’s not ok, I’m rushing to the ladies with sickness. I also can not eat any sauces such as BBQ, hoisin or ketchup.
Don’t read if prude or squeamish but toilet habits…
Yellow poop…. Not good. I don’t think I ever appreciated normal pooping but now I do because I don’t think right now it will ever happen again!
I guess I’m lucky I haven’t had dumping syndrome, probably because apart from the odd occasion I don’t really eat super high fat high sugar foods.
My hair is still coming out, a lot, I hope it stops soon. I still have nice hair I can just tell it’s thinner.
I have some people saying you should never have surgery abroad, check their credentials, get reviews. I did all that, I do have a anomaly with my surgery in that the stomach exit is now to the side. I’m hoping that doesn’t cause further complications down the line. If it does, I will have to have a reversal. Which I can have because I had RNY Bypass instead of a sleeve so my ‘old’ stomach is still in place just not connected to the food inlet. If anything I’m pleased this could be an option. If I had had the sleeve surgery instead, they remove the no longer used section and then where would I be? Then I would have to have an RNY and then a bag.
No one will ever tell you the honest no hold bars reality of weight loss surgery. They are afraid.
Maybe of accepting reality, maybe of the social media implications of complaining, people are so quick to jump on with negative comments, maybe fear of comeback from the places they had the surgery,
Well if you have any questions I will be brutally honest.
Things I wish I’d known before and had the willpower to do:
1. No food is off limits in extreme moderation.
2. If someone had told me to eat off a saucer five times a day instead of my usual large meal a day, I’d probably have been able to do this myself.
I can still snack on anything too.
3. This will affect your social life and drinking life if that’s what you like to do. Forever.
4. Problems after surgery are actually very common and people don’t discuss them openly.
5. Social media support groups have done me more harm than good when I’ve had an issue, resulting in me convincing myself that either what I was experiencing was normal or that I had somehow injured my own body internally because my diet isn’t the same as someone else’s.
6. If you have mobility issues you can still loose weight, you don’t have to exercise, you won’t even realise you are moving more as you lose weight. Try the several saucer sized portions a day. Eat home cooked foods. A piece of meat should generally be the size of your palm and no bigger. The rest should be vegetables.
7. I wish I’d known how common the gallbladder issues were and what I’d have to go through to get that sorted.
8. I wish I’d known how common strictures are and how often some have to go for dilations and how awful the endoscopy procedures are if you aren’t sedated.
9. I wish I’d known how many people liked me as I made them feel good about themselves because of my weight and how now I’m a normal regular size I’m not included. You find out who your friends really are. Maybe now I make them self conscious although I don’t judge anyone having been the ‘big’ girl for most of my life I know how that feels too.
10. I wish I’d known how to deal with body dysmorphia as it’s a really big thing.
Stop Walking on Egg Shells 